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Applying to the UK - UCAS Explained

Applying to the UK - UCAS Explained

 

By Lee Sterling III
BHA University Counselor

 

There are more than 180 higher education institutions in the United Kingdom (UK). All applications to UK universities must be made through UCAS, which counts as the central clearinghouse for university applications. Applicants fill out a single online form, a reference is added, and once the form is submitted, UCAS forwards the application to the universities that the student has indicated.

In the UK, students need to indicate their course of study at the time they apply. An applicant can apply to up to five universities (only four if you apply for direct medical entry). Students will receive a conditional acceptance for each course of study that they gain entry. Conditional acceptances are dependent on the student’s final IB DP exam grades that will be sent directly to the accepted institution.

Once a student begins their studies at a UK university, all of the courses are related to that subject area. And so that is why undergraduate degrees in the UK are only three years in length. In the UK, a student must choose a course that they will continue through graduation, as it can be a major problem if you decide you would rather pursue another course. Students should only apply to the UK universities if they are fairly confident of their choice of course, as they would need to start over if they decide to change courses.

UCAS offers an informative and detailed website where students and parents can check on the types of courses available at each institution, IB requirements for a particular course, and other useful UK university information. At Branksome Hall Asia, we will be covering the UCAS admission process in detail during our University Counseling classes.

For students who desire to apply to Oxford/Cambridge and any applicants for specific Dentistry, Medicine and Veterinary Science programs, UCAS applications need to be submitted by October 15th of their Grade 12 year. Regular UCAS admission for all other universities and courses of study fall on January 15th.

Some helpful links: